Railway-switch work



(No Motlel.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

A. J. MOXHAM.

RAILWAY SWITCH WORK.

No. 539,878. Patented May 28, .1895.

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f/iw/Q (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. J. MOXHAM.

Y RAILWAY SWITCH WORK. No. 539,878. Patented May '28, 1895.

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` Johnstown, county of Cambria, State of Pennis subjected to more wearthan the remainder UNITED STATES:

PATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, OF JOHNSTOWN, FENNSYLVANIA.y

RAILWAY-SWITCH WORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 539,878, dated May 28,1895.

Application filed March 30, 1894.

To @ZZ whom may concer-n: K

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. MoxHAM, of

Sylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Railway-SwitchWork, of which the following specification is a true and exactdescription,`due reference being had to the accompanying drawings.`

My invention relates to that class of switch work in which one part ofthe track surface of the structure, as occurs in a frog, cross or mateat the point, the point being that place where two or more tracks cross.or converge. More or less of the head being cut away here, the carwheel does not secure the same bearing upon the rail'that it doeselsewhere,and the head rapidly wears down. Sometimes door plates areplaced adjacent to the gage line of the rail to carry the wheel; butthese plates also wear and are a source of trouble.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch structure in which thepart subjected to excessive wear may be constructed of a material moredurable than the remainder.

vReferring to the drawings, Figure l represents a frog, and Fig. 2 amate, embodying my invention. Fig. 3 showsa top view of the frog, Fig.l. Figxt is a section on line W Wof Fig. and Fig. 5 a section on line XX of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a top view of the mate in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is asection on line YY of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 a section on lineZ Z of Fig. 6.

In general, my invention consists in providing, at the point ofexcessive wear, a center piece or plate with the necessary track uponits top surface, which surface is harder thanl the remainder of thetrack so that itmay the better resist'the Wear. To the ends of thisplate Iabut the rails diverging therefrom and I securely bond the wholetogether by casting molten metal around them, which,'in solidifyingunites the whole into one solid structure.

In the drawings, A is the plate having the top surface hardened and thenecessary track formed thereupon.

B shows the abutting rails, which, extending outward, connect with thetrack rails. C is the metal, which, being cast around them, holds theplate and rails together.

My method of constructing the switch-piece shown is as follows: Theplate A may be rolled,

Serial No. 505,767. (No model.)

4 forged or cast but I preferably form it of rolled plane or otherwiseform the proper track sur- 1faces vupon the top of it, after which I maysubject it to any suitable hardening process whereby the surface may berendered more durable. The abutting rails having been cut so that theyclosely abut the ends of the plates and align with the' track surfacesthereon, I place the whole in a mold in the proper relative position toeach other, and, with a cavity around them of the proper form to makethe casting C, I now pour `the molten iron into the mold thus formed,which iron'surrounds the plate and rail ends, and, in cooling, firmlyunites the whole together. The holes D in the Webs of the rails allowthe molten metal to How through and thoroughly bond them therein. Thewedge shape of the plateA locks the same securely in place.

I have said that the plate may be hardened before being placed in themold, which, being the case, the hot metal surrounding it would tend toheat and anneal it. To prevent this I may provide in the mold suitablemeans of access to the top and bottom of the plate, and keep the samecool by the application of water; or I may place in the mold against theplate a porous block, as coke, through which I may force water againstthe plate. This keeping the plate cool serves twopurposes. First, itpreserves the hardness of the plate; and, second, it prevents the platefrom expanding while the surrounding metal is contracting. were not thusprevented while the surrounding cast metal wasshrinking, greatdifficulty would be experienced in preventing the If this expansionofthe plate l shrinkage strains in the casting-frame from IOO taken not toheat it sufticiently to destroy its temper. In the warm state the plateis larger than when cool and the Water upon it cools and shrinks itwhile the surrounding metal is also shrinking. Were it not for the waterthe plate would absorb the heat from the surrounding metal and thuswould expand while the other was contracting as before said. In caseswhere the plate is so long that this shrinkage must ,be allowed for, Isuggest applying some yielding material to the ends of the plate, whichwill prevent the molten metal from owing directly against the plate, butwhich, when the metal hardens and commences to shrink, may be squeezedout by the.

material may be a liner formed of a sheet of thin metal, as tin orsheet-iron bent U shaped, th e two partsstanding apart whatever amountof contraction is to be provided for, The hot metal will iiow againstthis liner and as it cools and shrinks will gradually close it untilnally its two halves will be tightly pressed together against the plate.These liners will be so thin that their presence will not beobjectionable. For a plastic material, common putty answers very well,as it may be sufticiently hard to hold the metal back at irst but itsoon becomes very soft from the heat and readily squeezes out.

In cases where there is a larger amount of molten metal which does notAchill quickly enough, a thin piece of sheet-iron may be placed over theputty to protect it from the wash of the liuid metal.

In this manner I provide aswitch structure in which the part subjectedto excessive wear is made of a material more durable than the. remainderof the structure. I also provide a switch structure which may beeconomically made as there is little or no fitting ot' the several partstogether; and the labor and eX- pense incident to the usual type ofswitch work, which is fitted and bolted together, is done away with.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is-

1. A railway switch structure which consists of a center piece providedwith track surfaces, rails forming extensions of said center piece, thewhole being secured together by a separate body of cast metal.

2. A railway switch structure, which consists of a center piece providedwith hardened track surfaces, rails forming extensions of saidcenterpiece and a separate body of cast metal, whereby the whole issecured together.

3. The improvement in the method of constructing railway switchstructures, as herein set forth, which consists in placing in the moldand against the ends ofthe center piece, compressible or plastic linersor filling pieces adapted to prevent the molten metal from coming intocontact with the ends of the center piece and which are adapted to yieldas the metal shrinks in cooling, whereby the plate is securely held bythe body of metal without undue stress due to contraction in the latter.

4. The improvement in the method of constructing railway switchstructures as herein set forth, which consists in applyinga coolingmedium to the center piece while the molten metal is poured against it,as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aftixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.- Y

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM.' Witnesses WM. A. DONALDSON,

D. BRYAN.

